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Foundation Garment

A foundation garment (also known as shapewear or shaping underwear) is an undergarment designed to temporarily alter the wearer's body shape for a more fashionable or desired silhouette. Unlike bras, padded garments, or enhancement pieces that specifically enhance features like breasts, foundation garments aim to control, compress, smooth, and support the overall body contour under clothing.

History

Foundation garments have a long history rooted in various cultural periods. Early forms such as corsets and girdles were used across ancient Greece, Rome, through the Renaissance and Victorian eras for shaping and constraining the figure. The 20th century witnessed significant evolution with the introduction of elastic materials, leading to more comfortable and practical modern shapewear designs. Styles have varied historically – from the flapper trends of the 1920s favoring a looser silhouette but still incorporating foundation elements for control, to the emphasis on hourglass figures in the mid-20th century.

Types

Foundation garments come in various forms tailored to specific shaping needs:

  • Corsets: Traditional undergarments designed primarily to cinch and shape the waist.
  • Girdles: Garments extending from the waist to the hips or thighs, offering control and smoothing for the lower abdomen, buttocks, and hips.
  • Control Panties: Underwear specifically targeting the lower abdomen and hips for a seamless appearance under other clothing.
  • Body Shapers: Comprehensive one-piece garments designed to smooth and shape multiple body areas including the torso, waist, hips (and sometimes thighs).
  • Thigh Shapers: Garments focused on smoothing and shaping the thigh area.

Construction and Materials

These garments are constructed from a variety of materials known for their stretch and compressive properties. Common fabrics include nylon, spandex (or elastane), Lycra, and cotton blends. Modern foundation garment technology often emphasizes seamless construction to minimize visible lines under clothing and enhance comfort by reducing seams against the skin.

Cultural and Fashion Context

Foundation garments are integral accessories in achieving specific silhouettes for fitted clothing. They provide essential support and smoothing for items like evening gowns, tailored trousers, pencil skirts (especially qipao-style), and other form-fitting apparel. The use of shapewear is widespread across many cultures. While sometimes associated with historical norms regarding body image or even modern movements around confidence and empowerment, its primary function remains the same: to provide a smooth base under clothing for aesthetic reasons.

Related Concepts

  • Silhouette - The overall outline of an outfit on the body.
  • Lingerie - A broader category that includes undergarments and other intimate apparel, with foundation garments being one type specifically for shaping.
  • Body Image - Pertains to societal expectations related to appearance which often influence the use of body-shaping garments.

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